Third party gubernatorial candidate Tom Tancredo earlier today touted the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman , but the pair weren’t always on the best terms.

U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman in his Marines uniform in 2007 (John Leyba/Denver Post)

As state Treasurer in 2003, Coffman, a Gulf War veteran, took issue with Tancredo’s failure to serve in the Vietnam War and refused to stand on stage with the then-congressman at a pro-war rally. Coffman later apologized for the snub.

State Treasurer Mike Coffman confirmed Wednesday he walked away from a pro-war rally with Congressman Tom Tancredo because of questions about Tancredo’s failure to serve in Vietnam.

Coffman, a former Marine who saw action in the first Persian Gulf conflict more than a decade ago, left the Colorado Capitol stage in what he described as a personal protest. But Coffman said he warned his fellow Republican ahead of time that he would not share the platform with him.

Coffman made no public statement at the time and confirmed the action only after asked about it by a reporter.

“I didn’t make a statement about it publicly,” Coffman said. “I never intended to do so. You guys found out about it – I don’t know how… I just didn’t feel (Tancredo) had the moral authority to send other young people off to war when he was not willing to go himself.”

GOP Senate hopeful Ken Buck will rally with Sen. John Thune from South Dakota Tuesday in attempt to energize the base and compete with his opponent’s star-studded visits from Michelle Obama and former president Bill Clinton.

Thune, made famous for beating Senate leader Tom Daschle in 2004 with the help of Colorado’s Dick Wadhams, will share a stage with Buck at 4 p.m. tomorrow at Clement Park in Littleton.

A couple weeks ago, Mitt Romney came to Colorado and held a fundraiser for Buck, but the two didn’t have any public events.

Buck’s opponent, incumbent Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, will share a stage with First Lady Michelle Obama Thursday and former President Bill Clinton will come to Colorado next week for Bennet.

“It became clear to me that I could no longer vote for Dan Maes for governor,” said Coffman. “What Colorado needs during these tough economic times is not another politician who ‘just wants to be governor’ but a strong and decisive leader like Tom Tancredo who will get our state’s economy back on track.”

“I am honored to have Mike Coffman’s support,” Tancredo, who left the GOP to run under the American Constitution Party banner, said in a release. “His endorsement is a huge lift to our effort.”

The endorsement comes as Tancredo has leaped forward in polls, Maes has sunk to the low teens and some Republican operatives struggle to telegraph to GOP voters that Tancredo is the man to back in the November contest against Democrat John Hickenlooper.

Republican Ken Buck’s political director has come up with a video of “Rubber Stamp Man’s” effort to hobnob with Democrat Michael Bennet. Sadly, the little character fails.

Political director Will Croswell also stars in the spot — he’s the guy at the blackboard charting the movements of Rubber Stamp Man, who apparently has been thwarted in his efforts fraternize with Sen. Bennet at campaign events.

Rubber Stamp Man is the brainchild of Buck campaign manager John Swartout, who says Bennet has rubber stamped Democratic policies in Washington.

One question, though. Every fan of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will recognize the final song as a dejected Rubber Stamp Man walks away. How much did the Buck campaign pay for the rights to use “Christmas Time is Here?”

It’s brutal out there in House District 23, where Republican Edgar Johansson of Golden is trying to unseat Democrat Max Tyler of Lakewood. Check out some of the campaign mailers.

Here’s one against Johansson, which claims he is the “latest politician to be caught in a series of lies:”

A liberal '527' political group is attacking Republican Edgar Johansson.

More on that mailer later. Here’s one against Tyler:

A conservative '527' political group is attacking Democrat Max Tyler.

The mailers are the works of political groups called “527s,” named for the section of the tax code that regulates them. The groups can accept unlimited donations while the candidates are limited to $400 per donor.

Both Tyler and Johansson said they have run a clean campaign against each other, but have no control what over what the 527s are saying.

“This is what is so sickening about this political process,” Johansson said.

“We’ve seen several major Republican businessmen back John Hickenlooper, so I would absolutely trust the Mayor when it comes to the economic health of our state and the business community more so than I would Tom,” he said.

Democratic Treasurer Cary Kennedy takes aim at her Republican opponent’s views of Amendment 23 in the first TV ad of her re-election campaign, which airs starting tomorrow in the Denver and Colorado Springs areas.

Walker Stapleton has criticized Amendment 23, a Constitutional change meant to guarantee increases to K-12 funding every year. That amendment came under fire during the legislative session when some lawmakers lamented guaranteed increases at a time when other budgets faced cuts.

Kennedy authored the amendment.

“Education needs to be our state’s top priority,” Kennedy says in the ad. “I’ll continue to fight for our schools.”

You’ve seen Bud Lite’s real men of genius ads. Well the geniuses at Complete Colorado have come up with a spoof, gubernatorial style, starting with Tom Tancredo.

“Mr. American Constitution Party party switcher,” the spoof says, highlighting the former Republican congressman’s jump to a third-party ticket to run for governor and his focus over the years on illegal immigration.

“You’re so tough on illegall immigration you won’t even eat at an On the Border restaurant,” the narrarator says.

A credit union that paid for a negative campaign mailer against Rep. Joe Rice has been criticized on its Facebook page for attacking the Littleton Democrat.

“Bellco needs to keep its money out of elections,” one person posted. “Joe Rice is one of the good guys, an upstanding elected official that Colorado needs in its corner. Voting should be left to the people without the influence of corporate money such as Bellco’s … . Shame on you.”

The mailer against Rice, who faces Republican Kathleen Conti in House District 38, is the work of a political 527 group called “Voices of Main Street” which was formed to “support pro-business candidates,” according to its paperwork filed with the Colorado Secretary of State.

Rushing through the morning political news like Ray Rice through Broncos defenders …

12: The number of hours before Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet and Republican Ken Buck face off in The Denver Post/9News/UCD School of Public Affairs debate. It will be live-streamed on the web and broadcast on My20.

Cha-ching: CQ reports that spending by the Republican and Democratic parties in Colorado’s Senate race has now topped $6 million.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.